Be on the lookout for a new bestseller in local bookstores this month: "Virg Bernero and the Veil of Secrecy" by J.K. Rowling.
State Sen. Virg Bernero, D-Lansing, might have a flair for the dramatic, but when negotiations for the possible relocation of MSU's College of Human Medicine are taking place behind closed doors - under a "veil of secrecy," as Bernero puts it - we have to listen to the Sorting Hat and take note.
Just more than two months ago, MSU officials announced the possibility of moving the College of Human Medicine to Grand Rapids. Like the Emerald Palace in Oz, Grand Rapids is hoping to use a rejuvenated Van Andel Research Institute to lure state medical researchers and make medical breakthroughs synonymous with the west side of the Michigan mitt. They've had their eyes on MSU's medical school since December and have been hawking a stake on it like George Steinbrenner going after A-Rod.
But that, of course, could be completely wrong and entirely inaccurate. While MSU officials have been in contact with the Van Andels - isn't there enough "Van Andel" in Grand Rapids already? - East Lansing brass such as Mayor Mark Meadows, City Manager Ted Staton and others have been meeting with the university behind closed doors to scrutinize the deal.
With the "veil of secrecy" firmly in place, the public at large is in the dark about the fate of MSU's medical school and whether it'll even be on campus a year from now. All of the motivations could be completely off base and presumptions thrown to the wind. Simply put, no one from the university is talking about why the College of Human Medicine could be moved 70 miles away from the school it allegedly represents.
Smell a little fishy yet? Possibly, but hold on. The meetings taking place behind closed doors are not those of a public body. They aren't required like city councils, university boards of trustees or school boards to remain open to public participation. The group constituting these MSU-East Lansing medical school tug-of-war talks can give you a nice broad smile and slam a door right in your face so they can get down to business.
But that's not a very wholesome way to do business. "Behind closed doors" has the connotation of a smoke-filled room, a single light bulb swaying in the dank must while men in dark suits hammer out the future for the rest of us. Sure, that's not what's happening right now, but when the issue at hand reflects on the future of MSU students and their families, a little open-door policy would go a long way.
It's time for MSU officials to give the rest of us a little insight on why they're entertaining the idea of transplanting our medical school into the heart of Grand Rapids. Agreed, deals are not meant to be negotiated through an intermediary - such as The State News - but until the university gives its side to this story, we say open the doors in the interest of public knowledge.
Closed doors are barriers. The pursuit of knowledge and endeavors that could be beneficial to the university should never be road-blocked like that. Open the doors or open your mouths. It's your choice.
